Actress Natalie Long is one of Grandstreets pride and joy returning for the summer. This time, though, she will be a teacher instead of a pupil.

"I think Grandstreet exposed me to all different things, not just to acting but to technical work. We got to do everything, it gave kids an open view (of theater)," Long said in a telephone interview from her home in Louisville, Ky.

Long, a native of Helena, graduated from Helena High School in 1992 and studied at Grandstreet Theatre. Her family still resides in Helena.

After a stint as Molly in "Annie" and drawing upon her other experience, she went on to study theater at Southern Utah University. The theater school at Grandstreet was a great experience, Long recalls. "Its like we want more of this, this is fun," she said.

After graduation, she married and has been performing at the Stage One Louisville Children's Theatre.

"This [sic] kids are so cute, for some of them its the first time they've ever seen theater," she said.

She will be accompanied in Helena by her husband, Rick, also an actor. "We look forward to teaching the kids," she said.

A company called Globalstage has filmed some of the productions Long has been involved with including "Pinocchio" and "Frankenstein." Those productions are available locally at Blockbuster outlets.

Globalstage is also mulling Stage Ones future production of "Tom Sawyer." "That's exciting, wed love them to come back," she said.